1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the production of a gaseous mixture containing hydrogen from methanol, of the type wherein a stream of a mixture of methanol and water is heated by heat exchange with the gas produced by reforming, then vaporized and superheated by heat exchange with a heat-carrying fluid heated itself by the combustion of a combustible gas which is typically a mixture of residual gases emitted by a downstream gas separation unit which produces pure hydrogen from the gaseous mixture produced.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The implementation of such a production process classically requires the intervention on the one hand of a reforming reactor and on the other hand of a boiler for the combustion of the residuals, with a heat-carrying fluid system which extends form one to the other with a heat receiving exchanger in the combustion boiler and other heat emitting exchangers at the reforming reactor. This procedure results in installations which are relatively heavy but appropriate for important production rates. However, when the production rate is relatively small, the implementation mentioned hereinabove leads to important investment costs which have an effect on the cost of the hydrogen produced.